blood/plasma donation?

[Gary Allan]

I used to give every time that they showed up at school. I think it was every other month for so many months with some gap in there. Anyway, they never knew what you gave. I ended up with 3 or 4 cards showing my donations to date. I'm a boring A+. Why couldn't I get something like my father's O-. I haven't given in years.

It was kinda fun having the giggle chat time after they were done.

Quote:
They turn around and sell it for what, $400, to cover expenses


Well, it's kinda funny that the exact same motions are gone through with the at profit plasma collection joints, yet the blood is given free of charge and costs more to the end user.

 

[crinkles]

I actually got a nurse last night that was only her 16th needle stick, she did an OK job. Apparently i have a great but deep vein.

I'll stick to the whole blood. I have 6 donations now, 470mL each so about 3/4 of a US gallon. Every 3 months.
edit - i have to "forget" about the feelings of unease i get about the needle and process before i can go donate again. usually by 3 months it is out of my mind and i don't hesitate to go.

they also don't pay for donations here - it's totally voluntary. and yeah the questionnaire is um well... interesting.

 

[PSS]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
I used to give blood. Then one time I got dizzy. I think it was 110% mental. So I quit for years. Then suddenly last year I started again, now I sign up every time the BloodMobile comes.


I would strongly urge anyone who donates to take an extra length of time to ensure you are completely recovered. My boss donated once and ended up hitting his head on sink after passing out. Nearly died.

I was woozy once and can appreciate the experience. However long it takes is a good time to wait.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

My scientific conclusion on plasma donation: the thought of it gives me the willies.

I was giving blood regularly for awhile. In 2003, the screening questions were changed to reflect the mad cow scare. I'm apparently at risk because of time I spent outside the U.S. in the 1990s. The screener did not say I couldn't donate, but after all the questions, gave me two stickers to put onto a form in private. One said I thought my blood was safe and the other not safe.

I don't know whether the mad cow standards have changed, but I haven't donated since then.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Rhymingmechanic
The screener did not say I couldn't donate, but after all the questions, gave me two stickers to put onto a form in private. One said I thought my blood was safe and the other not safe.

I believe that practice was standard for quite I while. I almost always got those in the early to mid 2000s when donating whole blood.

 

[Gary Allan]

That started as far back as the 80's. It was due to HIV/AIDS. It simply allowed you to lie giving answers, and then flag your blood in honesty. The reason I know is that I haven't given since the mid 80's and we were offered the blind stickers to attach to the form (more or less) in private.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
I used to give all the time until I was diagnosed with cancer back in 1994. Now I cannot give.


Same here, at about the same time.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Rhymingmechanic
The screener did not say I couldn't donate, but after all the questions, gave me two stickers to put onto a form in private. One said I thought my blood was safe and the other not safe.


I got that and the "roll up your sleeves (so we can see if you have heroin track marks)".

Plasma donation advertises on the radio that you can get $160/month. They set up shop in the ghetto side of town. These scar tissue stories are pretty scary.